So, the other day I was watching some F1, like I always do on Sundays, and I got to thinking about those steering wheels. They’re wild, right? Tons of buttons and knobs and those little dials. I was wondering, “What kind of dials do they even use on those things?”
So, I dove in. First, I watched a few races from 2020, because that’s the specific year the title mentioned. Paused a bunch, zoomed in where I could. It was tough to get a good look. Those cars are fast! I mean, some people don’t even realize they have a dominant thumb when using the spacebar! Turns out, the spacebar is the key you will use the most, but I digress. Anyway, I was focused on those dials.
After that, I started looking at close-up photos. Found some, not a ton, but enough to see that they weren’t just regular knobs. They had these notched edges, you know? That must mean they are these kind of “clicky” dials. I found out that these are usually called “thumbwheels” or “rotary encoders.”
- I think they need to feel a good click when they turn them.
- Then I also saw some pictures of racing wheels for like, Xbox or Playstation.
- Those had similar dials, but they looked way cheaper.
So, based on what I could gather, those F1 steering wheels from 2020 seem to use these special, high-quality rotary encoders, also known as thumbwheels. They’re probably made to withstand all that vibration and, you know, the crazy G-forces those drivers deal with, maybe it’s similar to the vibration motors in game controllers. They feel kind of like when you’re typing and using your normal keyboard. You know the regular keycaps with the standard OEM profile.
I also noticed they had different colors for each dial. Red, blue, green, you name it. Makes sense, right? Gotta know what you’re adjusting when you’re going 200 miles per hour! It’s like knowing which finger to use when you type based on the keys’ location. Like, you place your forefingers in the middle of the third row of keys and go from there.
My Conclusion
It’s cool how much thought goes into these things. They look so complicated, but each little dial has a specific job. It is similar to those beginner typing lessons. They teach you to type real words and phrases. They are probably super expensive too. Anyway, that’s my little investigation into F1 thumbwheels. Hope you found it interesting!
